Warriors of the Heavens
Chapter 4
Ayano spent the next couple of weeks drafting a request for the blacksmith living down the road. She knew exactly what she wanted and also knew that it would be very costly. She approached both of her parents simultaneously with a new request.
“Mom, Dad?” she was braver after her last encounter with her father went so well.
“Yes?” they both replied. Her father was already aware of the subject of the impending request.
“The alterations for the sword are going to cost money.” Ayano began her request with an obvious statement of fact and quickly began again keeping her father from responding. “I know we don’t have any money to spare on something so unnecessary.” Already her parents were beginning to approve so she spoke faster, a hint of excitement in her voice, “I was wondering if I could spend a few months living and working for the blacksmith in order to pay the debt.”
Her father raised his hand to cut off his wife’s protests and smiled at his daughter and nodded his approval and spoke slowly, “You may, but under two conditions. You must have the blacksmith send us a letter informing us of how you’re holding up and if you’re obeying him. If we get one bad report you’ll be brought home immediately. Finally, you can stay no longer than four months.”
She was a little unhappy with the conditions but not so much that she would complain. Four months of hard labor was plenty of time to work off the debt. With a small hug of appreciation, she returned to her room to write the specifications of her employment with the blacksmith:
To the master blacksmith,
I, Ayano, request the crafting of four blades that fit the following descriptions perfectly:
Blade 1 – This blade will be twelve inches long, not including the handle. It will be made of solid and sturdy steel of the highest quality. The blade will have a gentle curve giving it the appearance of a moon crescent. It will be sharpened on both sides such that it could remove the arm of a man with a single stroke. The handle will be made of iron smelted directly to the blade, wrapped with a thin red strip of linen. The sheath will be soft, brown leather with a belt loop.
Blade 2 – This blade will be thirty-seven inches long. It will also be made of steel of the highest quality. The blade will be in the shape of a traditional saber, sharpened so that a gentle tap with the blade’s edge is capable of inflicting a fatal cut. The handle will be made of iron smelted directly to the blade with a small blade guard at the point the handle ends and the blade begins. The handle will be wrapped with a thin blue strip of linen. The sheath will be hard, black leather with a belt loop.
Blade 3 – This blade will meet the same specifications as Blade 2. The only difference will be a green strip of linen instead of blue.
Blade 4 – This blade will be forty inches long in the form of a simple, double-edged long sword. The handle will be iron smelted onto the blade with a three inch bar extending from both sides at the point of joining. This handle is to be wrapped with a thin strip of black linen and the sheath will be hard, brown leather with a strap so that it is securely fastened across my back with the handle angled to protrude over my left shoulder.
Payment for these four blades will be satisfied during an employment of four months of labor without question.
Sincerely,
Ayano
She looked at the letter and smiled, satisfied with her work. Quickly, and neatly, she folds the letter into thirds and seals it with a drop of wax stamped with a flat, round surface to bind the wax to the paper. Carefully she sat the letter on the edge of her bed and started gathering the necessities she would need for her stay. She packed away four thread-bare dresses, a pair of old leather sandals, and a handful of cords to tie her hair back. She tossed all of these away into a cloth sack and tied it shut dropping it on the floor just outside her bedroom door. Leaning back inside her room she grabbed the letter and propped it on her bag leaning it against the wall.
Feeling slightly sad at the prospect of leaving the home she had spent all thirteen years of her life, she walked slowly through every room, pausing reflectively at all of the photographs. A single tear oozes down her cheek as fond memories flood her mind. She wipes it away and thinks how odd it is that none of the bad memories find their way into her thoughts.
She finds both of her parents in the kitchen and clings to them, sobbing tearlessly. Calming herself she looks up and smiles, “I’m going to miss you both. I’ll think of you every single day I’m gone.” Her voice trembles with the sincerity of a child that’s afraid of being away from home.
Her mom and dad hold her quietly and stroke her hair soothingly. Ayano composed herself and straightened up smiling at both of her parents. She went back to her bedroom door and slung the pack over her shoulder, strapping the practice sword over the pack. She pulled the leather sandals over her feet before beginning the hike to the blacksmith’s shop.
“Mom, Dad?” she was braver after her last encounter with her father went so well.
“Yes?” they both replied. Her father was already aware of the subject of the impending request.
“The alterations for the sword are going to cost money.” Ayano began her request with an obvious statement of fact and quickly began again keeping her father from responding. “I know we don’t have any money to spare on something so unnecessary.” Already her parents were beginning to approve so she spoke faster, a hint of excitement in her voice, “I was wondering if I could spend a few months living and working for the blacksmith in order to pay the debt.”
Her father raised his hand to cut off his wife’s protests and smiled at his daughter and nodded his approval and spoke slowly, “You may, but under two conditions. You must have the blacksmith send us a letter informing us of how you’re holding up and if you’re obeying him. If we get one bad report you’ll be brought home immediately. Finally, you can stay no longer than four months.”
She was a little unhappy with the conditions but not so much that she would complain. Four months of hard labor was plenty of time to work off the debt. With a small hug of appreciation, she returned to her room to write the specifications of her employment with the blacksmith:
To the master blacksmith,
I, Ayano, request the crafting of four blades that fit the following descriptions perfectly:
Blade 1 – This blade will be twelve inches long, not including the handle. It will be made of solid and sturdy steel of the highest quality. The blade will have a gentle curve giving it the appearance of a moon crescent. It will be sharpened on both sides such that it could remove the arm of a man with a single stroke. The handle will be made of iron smelted directly to the blade, wrapped with a thin red strip of linen. The sheath will be soft, brown leather with a belt loop.
Blade 2 – This blade will be thirty-seven inches long. It will also be made of steel of the highest quality. The blade will be in the shape of a traditional saber, sharpened so that a gentle tap with the blade’s edge is capable of inflicting a fatal cut. The handle will be made of iron smelted directly to the blade with a small blade guard at the point the handle ends and the blade begins. The handle will be wrapped with a thin blue strip of linen. The sheath will be hard, black leather with a belt loop.
Blade 3 – This blade will meet the same specifications as Blade 2. The only difference will be a green strip of linen instead of blue.
Blade 4 – This blade will be forty inches long in the form of a simple, double-edged long sword. The handle will be iron smelted onto the blade with a three inch bar extending from both sides at the point of joining. This handle is to be wrapped with a thin strip of black linen and the sheath will be hard, brown leather with a strap so that it is securely fastened across my back with the handle angled to protrude over my left shoulder.
Payment for these four blades will be satisfied during an employment of four months of labor without question.
Sincerely,
Ayano
She looked at the letter and smiled, satisfied with her work. Quickly, and neatly, she folds the letter into thirds and seals it with a drop of wax stamped with a flat, round surface to bind the wax to the paper. Carefully she sat the letter on the edge of her bed and started gathering the necessities she would need for her stay. She packed away four thread-bare dresses, a pair of old leather sandals, and a handful of cords to tie her hair back. She tossed all of these away into a cloth sack and tied it shut dropping it on the floor just outside her bedroom door. Leaning back inside her room she grabbed the letter and propped it on her bag leaning it against the wall.
Feeling slightly sad at the prospect of leaving the home she had spent all thirteen years of her life, she walked slowly through every room, pausing reflectively at all of the photographs. A single tear oozes down her cheek as fond memories flood her mind. She wipes it away and thinks how odd it is that none of the bad memories find their way into her thoughts.
She finds both of her parents in the kitchen and clings to them, sobbing tearlessly. Calming herself she looks up and smiles, “I’m going to miss you both. I’ll think of you every single day I’m gone.” Her voice trembles with the sincerity of a child that’s afraid of being away from home.
Her mom and dad hold her quietly and stroke her hair soothingly. Ayano composed herself and straightened up smiling at both of her parents. She went back to her bedroom door and slung the pack over her shoulder, strapping the practice sword over the pack. She pulled the leather sandals over her feet before beginning the hike to the blacksmith’s shop.